Judal Kougyoku 30 Day Challenge
by the-angry-blob
Summary: 30 Day OTP Challenge. Pairing: Judal/Kougyoku. Ratings may vary. Most will be K , but all stories will be labeled with a proper rating. As I make more of these, some will be mature content.
1. Holding Hands

******Day 1 : Holding Hands  
Rating: K+**  


* * *

It's cold.

Under all of my layers, it is cold. The wind is gentle, as gentle as it could be as it crawled through the shutters and under my sleeves, onto the back of my neck.

It's cold and the hairs on my arm are standing up.

I cough into my sleeve, wincing at the clot forming in my throat. The cold felt like fire on my skin, and I wanted nothing more than to leave, to go to my own room and hide beneath warm blankets and plush pillows.  
But now, I wait.

He looks pained.  
He winces in his sleep, and his breathe comes out in short breathes and tiny, whimpers. There are tears that run down his cheek and a broken sob in his throat that never fully lets free.

It is for his hand that I reach.

It is hard and blistered, cold, so very cold to touch, and I wonder what that must say about him.

Judal stills, if just for a moment. His face relaxes and his hand is warm around mine, his fingers entwining together with my own. My heart jumps and I exhale sharply, eyes widening.

A moment passes, and then another, before I let myself relax. I give a small smile and rub my thumb along the tip of his pinky finger, and his hand clasps around mine.

I gasp, and my eyes flicker to his; they were small, squinty little things, lined too deeply with kohl and insomnia. And when they open, they look right at me, right past me. For a bare second, his eyes look soft, weak, like a child's. His bottom lip quivers and his breathing halts as he looks at me (he was looking _through_ me).

And then his eyes harden into a glare and his jaw snaps shut. He rips his hand from mine and sits up in a swift motion, his face suddenly far too close to mine.

"Don't touch me, _hag._"

His voice is dripping with venom, and my mouth drops open, to tell him I'm not a hag, to tell that I'm young and beautiful, to tell him that he should pick _me_. But no words come out and a smirk touches his lips as he stands up and leaves.

And when he is gone, I am left where I was, a dying whine on my lips and tears pricking my eyes.


	2. Cuddling Somewhere

******Day 2 : Cuddling Somewhere  
Rating: K+**  


* * *

It's cold.

The winter winds are harsh and cruel against my skin, and I take deep, shaky breathes. Even with all of these layers, I could feel the frost.

Cold works in such strange ways. It makes your fingers numb with ache, and it turns the tip of your nose red. It hangs off your eyelashes, and you can't feel your lips after a while.  
Cold _burns._ It doesn't come like flames, quick and painful. Cold creeps under your skin and it _burns_.

It heats your skin like death itself, till you forget what it even feels like to feel. It crawls through your veins and into your heart, and when it touches, you want to scream, because everything is like fire. Somewhere along the line, you will forget what it feels like to be warm.  
There will never, ever, be warmth again.

They'd sent me here.

The war, Kouen, Gyokuen. It doesn't matter who decided. I'd been sent here, to oversee the ongoing battles from the Imchuk. Why they had decided to attack Kou from the North was beyond me, but something tells me that a certain king was behind it.

Sinbad.

A handsome man. A better king. It would be a lie, to say I didn't love him, to say I didn't dream about being his wife and living in his palace. For four years, I've been thinking about him. I don't now. It would be a lie, to say that I didn't hate him.

Judal.

Annoying, oh so very annoying. Too dark and too cynical and too scared of everything to ever really hold my hand. I wish he did, just once, even if just for a while.

He can't now.

He's somewhere in Laem, blowing things up and screaming off whatever left he has of his mind. Its not much. He'd been thinking too much, running away too much, getting scared too often of what was coming. It was only a matter of time before Al-Sarmen destroyed his mind. And then he met that magi, Aladdin, and that was all it took for them to crush him. I don't know what they did to him. I don't want to.

He can't remember me now. He remembers Sinbad and Alibaba and Aladdin and how to kill them all. He can't remember me now.

I wonder, what it would have been like, if he did.

If he would be here, next to me. His hand would close around mine, his thumb running along the bones of my hand. Maybe he would have wrapped his arms around me. He'd tell me it was to keep warm. He was a liar. I smile to myself, because he could never lie to me.

He can now. But he's not really Judal anymore. I don't think it counts.

He can't remember me.

I stand up straighter and give an order to my general. We would attack during the blizzard. It was now, or never.

It occurs to me, that I'll probably die here, far away from home, from everything that I'd ever loved. From Judal.

I have to remind myself that Judal died a long time ago. I have only myself now.

The arrow is silent, like it always is.

Blood is different. It crawls over your skin, hot and wet. It doesn't stop. Blood is warmth, if nothing else.

I don't think it's cold anymore.

I can't tell the difference.


	3. GamingWatching a movie together

**Day 3 : Gaming/Watching a Movie Together  
Rating : K  
****Author note : They're like five here okay what ever and i reFUSE TO DO ANY AU'S FOR THIS CHALLENGE**

* * *

It's cold.

Judal has dragged me outside (again) because he wanted me to play with him. Kouen would get mad, he always does.

Judal climbs up the peach tree, and when he drops his sandal, I pout. "Let's go back inside, please!"

He laughs at me, like he always does, and holds out his hand. "Don't chicken out on me, Gyo, you're my friend!"

I glare at him with as much anger as I can, puffing out my cheeks. I am _not_ a chicken. I stomp my way to the bottom of the tree, and kick off my sandals. I grip at the bark with my hands, holding back a yelp as I feel a splinter in my finger. I heave myself up with some difficulty, but I manage to get high enough to sit on the branch beneath Judal.

It was winter now, and snow covered the branches instead of leaves. I look to see that I'd ripped part of my clothes. Judal hangs upside down from his branch so that he can talk to me. His grin is so big, like it always is. He reaches forward and pinches my cheeks, and I pull back, tears pricking my eyes. That hurt.

He laughs, like he always does. "You're such a baby!"

And before I can tell him that I'm not, he grabs a fistful of snow and rubs it against my cheeks. "Let's have a snow fight!"

"Judal! Stop harassing the princess!"

I turn to see Ka Koubun, stomping over to us. He picks me up easily from the low branch, and tuts when he sees my ruined clothes. I'm already crying, but I try not to make any noise. Judal already thinks I'm a baby.

As he tugs me away, I look back at Judal, who sticks his tongue out at me, and grins.


	4. On A Date

**30 Day OTP Challenge - Judal/Kougyoku**  
**Day 4 - On A Date  
Rating - K+  
Author Note: my headcanon is that judal is actually really gentle with kougyoku but no one really knows and hes jusT REALLY TSUNDERE ABOUT IT**

* * *

I turn to glare at Judal, but he simply grins his stupid grin, and I grind my teeth together in frustration.

"Aaah, you're just gonna give yourself more wrinkles like that~"

I huff and punch his arm. It's not like there was anyone else who could see. "I don't have wrinkles! I'm a young, beautiful princess so stop pretending I'm not!"

He holds his heart dramatically and puts on a face of yearning. "Oh, if only there actually **was** a young, beautiful princess beside me! Oh, the things I would do to her!"

I shriek in disgust and promptly walk away. I didn't need to hear Judal trash talk me. It had been a bad day as it was. I'd tripped on my skirt in front of Kouen, Kouha had pulled my hair and Ka Koubun had scolded me for crying when I stubbed my toe.

"Oi, hag, don't ignore me!"

When I keep on walking, Judal floats to stand beside me, pouting. I didn't have to look at him to know what face he was pulling. He was glaring at me, cheeks puffed out like the child he is. His arms would be crossed over his chest, like _I_ was the one he had reason to be angry with.

I huff and fold my arms across my chest. It was far too cold a night to be out, but Judal had insisted. As much as I appreciated his company, this was ridiculous. He didn't even _look_ like he was being affected by the cold. If anything, he was in awfully good mood this evening. And I can't for the life of me, figure out why.

"Kooougyokuuuuu~."

I stop and whirl around to face him. I was not going to put up with this tonight. I was expected to wake bright and early tomorrow. I open my mouth to speak, but Judal shushes me with a finger mushed against my mouth.  
"You're so noisy."

He points to a tree, over grown and wiry, and I feel something tug inside my chest. We used to play there, all the time, when we were little. He'd always call me a baby and climb higher than I could, and when I'd caught up with him, he'd just use his magic to fly. He always was higher than me, I suppose.

I smile, just a little. It was nice to see that he even bothered enough to take me back here, to the secluded part of the garden. He should be busy, working with Kouen, or -

I feel two hands tickling my waist, and I yelp, jumping forward a few steps. I turn to glare at him, but he's laughing too hard to notice, and soon, I can't help but join in.

And now, we're both clutching our stomachs and leaning against each other and laughing like we won't ever see tomorrow. His hand intertwines into mine, and I'd like to think this is why I won't regret a thing when Ka Koubun yells at me for sleeping in tomorrow.


	5. Kissing

**30 Day OTP Challenge - Judal/Kougyoku**  
**Day 5 - Kissing  
Rating - K+  
**

* * *

I often get the feeling that Judal might be cold blooded. He doesn't do much to prove other wise.

I pull out my hair pin, glaring into the mirror in front of me. It is not everyday that Judal gives me the time of day, but when he does, it is not pleasant. He's rude, he's annoying, and above all, he's a heartless lying pig.

He'd told he was working, and I should have known better, he's a compulsive liar, but oh, I had to trust him, like the idiot I was. I should have known better, I should have, but Judal's always knows how to make me forgive him for anything. The fact that I'm always so easily fooled, even after so long, infuriates me more than the fact that he'd lie to me. He lies to everyone. Of course it's not his fault.

He'd been with Sinbad, _again_. The king himself had the control of an animal in heat, and Judal was all for taking Sinbad to bed.

My fists clench and I glare at myself in mirror, because there's not much else to look at.

The door slammed open, and I see Judal saunter in. I ignore him, as best as I can, while he rambles on about how boring his trip to Sindria had been, and how Ja'far had kicked him out the moment he'd been caught in the act. He speaks about Sinbad so casually, so lewdly, because he knows its makes me mad.

And when he turns me around and wraps his hands around my waist, he leans forward and whispers into my ear. Whispers about _good_ it was to touch Sinbad, that it was better than anything in the world, and that I would not be able to touch the way Judal, never the same way, because Sinbad will never feel like that for me.

I'm choking back a sob before I can even think about it, and I know Judal loves it, because then he leans forward and presses his lips again mine, because he's a cold blooded, compulsive liar that loves to toy with my mind.

And I let him.


	6. Wearing Each Other's Clothes

**30 Day OTP Challenge - Judal Kougyoku**  
**Day 6 - Wearing Each Other's Clothes**

* * *

She looks _good_.

It was a not word Judal often used to describe her. In fact, he much preferred words like 'ugly' or 'stupid'. But to tell her that now would be lying, and a liar he is.

He sighs dramatically, holding hand on his chest. "If I knew you'd look so bad, I would never have let you borrow my clothes."

She glares at me and clenches her fists. She was thirteen and didn't take nicely to being insulted like that.  
It was a phase.

"I look better than _you _do."

And of course she did, she had boobs and an arse he'd kill for (though thats not saying much - he'd kill for a lot of things).

He can't help but follow the curve of her spine as she turned around and picked up the chunnari, messily attempting to wrap it around her shoulder. Judal sighs and stands up, moving behind her. He takes the scarf from her hands and drapes it over her shoulder's properly. As he peeks over her shoulder, he looks down her shirt and grins. Oh, she was growing up _fine_.

"Now, if you actually listen, you might be able to make this outfit work for you."


	7. Cosplaying

**30 Day Otp Challenge - Judal/Kougyoku**  
**Day 7 - Cosplaying**  
**Author's Note: I REFUSES TO DO AUS FOR THIS SCREW OFF**

* * *

"Oi~, look at me~."

I don't want to. I really don't. He's going to be wearing something skimpy and I'll find him handsome and then he'll laugh at me because that's what he always does. I look down at my own outfit, brushing out the creases in my shirt. As pretty as it was, the slits up the sides were letting cold air on my skin.

Of course, it was beautiful. Judal had chosen to dress me up as a prince of Heliohapt, complete with the golden head… _thingy_. He'd made me keep my hair down, and I'm glad. At least know he wouldn't be staring at my butt.

I sigh, and fix the head thing around my ears and turn to look at Judal. He's fiddling with the veil around his face, and- _Are those breasts?_

He'd dressed himself as an exotic belly dancer. Two pieces of clothes hung together by a flimsy rope around his waist acted as a 'skirt' of sorts, and he'd chosen to wear a proper halter shirt, cut to form around a girl's breasts. Upon closer inspection, his 'breasts' were actually peaches.  
Peaches.

He looks better in that outfit with peaches for boobs than I ever will.

He pulls the veil across his face a little tighter and flutters his eyelashes at me. I can't help but laugh, and kneel down to take his hand and kiss it. He fakes a moan and holds his heart dramatically. He squishes his fake boob and puts on the most high pitched voice I'd ever heard. "Oh, sweet prince, I can barely hold my arousal for you~."

And when I respond by calling him a fair maiden, we both collapse onto each other in a fit of ugly snorts and laughter.

It wasn't often that we got to do things like this. But it was nice when we did, and it's nice to see that he does remember me.

His lips are warm on my cheek that makes up for more than the months we spend hating each other.


	8. Shopping

**30 Day OTP Challenge - Judal/Kougyoku**  
**Day 8 - Shopping  
Rating - K+  
**

* * *

Kougyoku likes swords. She likes to collect them too. Short swords. Long swords. Rapiers. Broad swords. Katanas. She takes a fascination to them all. Perhaps thats partly why she admires Sinbad so much - though I admire him for his _other_ sword.

She takes a liking to one in particular - a talwar. It was a plain one actually, used and old. The leather bound along it grip was frayed along the edges, but she held just as she would Kouen's sword (she had once, when I let her into his study with out permission) - with nothing but admiration. She held it up, in front of her eyes, the blade end pointed towards her. She turned it sideways, holding flat in her palms. she stayed like that, her eyes following the blade, still sharp after its time.

Kougyoku took a deep breathe, and put it back down. Of course she wanted that sword - I could see it in the fall of her lashes and the droop of her shoulders and oh- she was such a bad actor in front of me. I'd thought I'd taught her better than that.

She sighs and moves along, inspecting more decorated blades. Ones that were embedded with jewels and gold and poetry along their blunt edges. She swallowed down everything that held her back - pride, obedience, her willingness to serve - she couldn't do what she wanted, not while Ka Koubun watched us from a small distance, as per the princesses command. Buying anything worth less than a fortune was off limits for a member of the royal family.

If we'd come to a weapons market for decorations, I might as well visit the jewellers.

I turn to the shop clerk, who had a smile all too fake plastered on his face. I glare at him boredly. "I want that sword." I point to the one Kougyoku had been holding, only a moment ago. I take off one of my many golden bangles and hand it to him in exchange for the blade. I had more at home anyway. It would be cover the cost of the blade well enough. He wraps it in a soft leather cloth, as Kougyoku's eyes widen.

I snatch it from his hands and hold it out to Kougyoku. Her bottom lip trembles and I'm tempted to compare her to a fish like that. I sigh and shove the sword into her waiting arms, much to Ka Koubun's displeasure. I've learnt to tune out his complaints by now.

Kougyoku can only look at me with bright eyes and I yawn, scratching at my ear. "If I'm the one that bought it, Koubun won't be able to say anything."

And by the look that she gives me, I know she'd hug me if we weren't in public.

I grin, and lean down to kiss her ear. She turns bright red and promptly walks away to another shop, but I've done my bit at making her happy - I can only hope that one day, she'll do that same.

A chill comes, and I ignore the cold, ignore the goosebumps forming on my arms. Winter was coming soon. The world would be dark again.  
I'll need her soon.


	9. Hanging Out With Friends (?)

**30 Day OTP Challenge - Judal / Kougyoku**  
**Day 9 - Hanging Out with Friends**  
**Author Note: thanks karin for being a cutie /smooch**

* * *

Hakuryuu can only sigh. Kougyoku was good, a fast learner as well. She was _born_ to be a warrior, if nothing else. She trains with more determination than he'd ever seen in another person, and he thinks that one day, she might even be better than him.

But not now, not like this. A spear is clumsy in her hands. It's too long, too thin. The balance is off, no matter how many different ones they try. One had even been specially, just for her. It was a poor advantage, nothing more. No improvements were made, and it was only then Hakuryuu decided to let her move onto a different weapon - a sword.

He knew how to use one; not as well as a spear, but as a prince, he knew as much as he needed to. The two tried as many as they could get their hands on. When the swords of Kou weren't enough, he'd stolen a sword for her, from the weapons armory. It wasn't one meant for use, but merely for display.  
A sword from Qishaan, with the strange curve along its bend.

If there was anything to say about the matter, it is that having her walk into a room with a bandage around her finger while Ka Koubun is there, isn't really the best of ideas. As annoying as the man was, he meant well when he brought forth the issue to Kouen, who'd forbid Kougyoku from trying out anymore weapons. He'd wanted to let her become a warrior, he really had. But the emporer would see no such thing, and so he'd forbid her, before things had gotten worse. She'd be a prim, proper princess who would learn her manners and partake in no battles.

Watching her swallow down her pride and bow was the bravest thing he'd ever seen her do.

She doesn't cry. She'd seen it coming; she's not an idiot.

She holds Hakuryuu's hand anyway. She holds it tight, and he swears, she's going to break his fingers, but he doesn't say anything. They were the odd ones out. Him - for his burns and the knowledge he kept secret. Her - well, she was nothing but the daughter of a whore who'd gotten lucky.

He clears his throat. "I'll find you a proper weapon. A nice one, maybe even with magic in it. Then we'll show them all - you can fight, I know you can."  
It was odd for him to drop the formalities, but they were alone, and she was the only person he trusted, other than Hakuei. He knew Kougyoku would never hurt him, she was too kind for that.  
She was his sister by blood, if nothing more.

She nods and gives him a weak smile. "It's fine. I'm old enough now to get married, it won't matter anyway."

Hot anger spreads through Hakuryuu - she was barely fourteen, she was his sister, he can't just let her give up! He stands up abruptly, opening his mouth to tell her how he felt about it all, but he is interrupted before he could even start.

"Whats happening over here? Is the hag having another one of her bitch fits?"

Judal floats in through the window, a half eaten peach in one hand. Kougyoku stands up abruptly, fists clenched as she glares at him. "I am not a hag! I'm young, and beautiful, and I don't need to have you putting me down now!"

Judal laughs in her face, and Hakuryuu can't help but get angry. Who was he, to come in and insult her like that? If it weren't for the fact that he was a magi, Hakuryuu would kill him on the spot - if he could, of course. As much as he trained, the thirteen year old never was quite strong enough to take the magi on in a sparring session. Fighting him seriously would be suicide.

"What ever, Judal holds out his hand to Kougyoku, "Come on now, lets go destroy a country or something. I'm bored."

She stares at him, doing her best to hold her ground. She was on the verge of tears, and having Judal here was doing nothing to help that. He sighs, and rolls his eyes. "You're strong Kougyoku. Stop bothering with what other people say to you."

Hakuryuu wanted to yell. To scream at Judal, to make him go away. He'll destroy her, he'll bring her right to her grave and she'll dig it herself. She hated him, she hated him so much, but she trusted him like she trusted no one else. He believed in her when she couldn't even believe in herself.

Judal tosses away the peach pit and grabs Kougyoku by both of her hands. He lifts her up gently, and she yelps, still worrying, even though Judal's magic had already wrapped itself around her as well. He laughed, mocking and cruel, but she could only smile and look at him with wonder in her eyes.

He turns to me, a grin on his face. "Would you like to come with us, little Hakuryuu? We're going to blow some stuff up now."

I narrow my eyes, and clench my fists in an effort to keep from hitting him. I had to stay quiet, I couldn't say a single word, not about how I knew everything or that when- I clear my throat and stand up straighter, pushing those thoughts away.

"No thank you. I'm fine by myself."

Kougyoku doesn't even question him.


End file.
